\n<\/p>\n
Trade unions and employers in Germany have started collective bargaining negotiations for public-sector employees in most federal states with seemingly irreconcilable differences.<\/p>\n
The aim is not only to achieve inflation compensation, but also a real wage increase, said Verdi trade union boss Frank Werneke immediately before the start of talks in Berlin on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Verdi and the civil servants’ union dbb, is negotiating with the TdL association which represents Germany’s federal states.<\/p>\n
The unions want a 7% pay increase, or at least \u20ac300 8$348) per month, for public-sector employees.<\/p>\n
The TdL negotiator, Hamburg’s Finance Senator Andreas Dressel, has rejected the demand as too high.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, dbb boss Volker Geyer told dpa: “We are counting on constructive negotiations.” But if employers refuse to cooperate and do not submit an offer, pressure will have to be increased.<\/p>\n
“Then actions and strikes are conceivable in many areas, for example in road maintenance services, among employees of the state police forces, university hospitals or in financial administration,” said Geyer.<\/p>\n
Three rounds of negotiations are planned with the the third scheduled for February 11-13 in Potsdam.<\/p>\n
According to Verdi, about 925,000 public-sector employees and 1.3 million civil servants are affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n